This invention relates to a system for removably assembling a plurality of panels. More specifically the invention relates to a clip design which is mounted into the facing edges of a pair of panels, and which may be interengaged to hold the panels together.
Many situations arise in which panels must be removably mounted to one another to present a continuous display surface. Such displays may be used in reception areas, or at trade shows, museums, art exhibits, or any other setting where visual information is displayed. It is often desirable that these panel systems be disassemblable because the size and shape of the display may need changing, or the display may need to be transported from one place to another. Many such display systems are found in the prior art, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,512,097 and 4,437,275 to Zeigler, and 4,471,548 to Goudie. Other systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,712,336 to Backer, 4,610,560 to Miller, and 4,823,858 to Perutz.
Another prior art system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 34,738 to Brady. That patent discloses a clip system which permits the removable mounting of flat display panels. The clip system of that patent is relatively lightweight and inexpensive, and permits the panels to be mounted to create a so-called full bleed display surface which provides a continuous display surface, without gaps between adjacent panels. That system can be assembled without tools and by one with little skill.
However, there are several problems with the Brady system. An intricate and therefore relatively expensive aluminum extrusion is utilized at the edges of each of the panels to be assembled, due to the configuration of the mounting clips. When assembled together, these channels include, in cross section, an edge extrusion which is generally hourglass-like. Each of the clips includes a pair of flexible, semi-circular tubes which are designed to resiliently conform to the configuration of the hourglass channel to form a suitable mounting structure. This tube configuration is relatively difficult and therefore relatively expensive to mold, and because of the resiliency requirement they can become misshapen over time. This can result in the panels becoming misaligned with respect to one another, or can present problems in subsequent assembly.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the drawbacks and limitations of the prior art proposals. More specifically, the invention has as its objects:
1) to provide a panel assembly system which is easy to assemble, and which permits assembly by one with little skill or training;
2) to develop a panel assembly system which is inexpensive to fabricate and use;
3) the provision of a panel assembly system which holds panels in place while they are being positioned and otherwise manipulated;
4) to provide a panel assembly clip which is designed to hold adjacent panel edges in place for an extended period of time without warping or becoming disfigured in such a way that will cause the panels to sag or become misaligned with respect to one another;
5) to develop a clip mounting system for panels which is easy to mold or extrude and which does not have to be structurally strong or require the use of complex and therefore expensive panel edge extrusions; and
6) the provision of a panel assembly system which is self-centering and which therefore automatically aligns adjacent panels as they are being assembled.